Sustainable Nutrient Management Approaches in Maize-Chickpea Cropping

Field experiments were conducted to study the Sustainable nutrient management approaches for maximizing productivity and profitability of maize-chickpea cropping system in Vertisol of Upper Krishna Project (UKP) command area. Application of nutrients through SSNM approach for targeted yield of 8.0 t ha-1 of maize grain and its residual effect on chickpea was registered significantly higher growth, yield attributes, yield, quality parameters and total uptake of nutrients favorably and was on par with application of nutrients through STCR approach for targeted yield of 8.0 t ha-1. Application of nutrients through SSNM approach for targeted yield of 8.0 t ha-1 for maize and its residual effect on chickpea was registered significantly higher grain and seed yield (7.74 t ha-1 and 2.99 t ha-1, respectively) over farmers practice, RDF and STL method. The higher maize-equivalent yield, sustainability yield index, gross returns, net returns and BC ratio were recorded with SSNM approach for targeted yield of 8.0 t ha-1 followed by STCR approach.